A Swordsman's Tempest
by Kiteria Faye
Summary: Finally free of her father's control, Raindra sets out with her childhood friend Usopp to try and find what it is she is searching for in the world. Starting with trying to find her mother who she hasn't seen since she was four, Raindra's life becomes a bit crazy. Secret promises, invisible chains, old friends, and new adventures.
1. Saying Goodbye

The soft sound of footsteps slowly approaching her door alerted the young raven-haired girl that someone was about to interrupt her reading.

"Madam Raindra, your father requests your presence."

A soft-spoken voice called to her through the dark oak door to her room and the young lady, around nine years old, sighed silently to herself as she tore her storm-cloud colored eyes from the written words of the book she held in her hands.

"I'll be right there Merry."

Raindra called to the curly white-haired butler she knew to be standing on the other side of her door. She could only imagine what her father wanted to see her about. She had snuck out again yesterday and had been brought back by one of her father's men. He had sent her straight to her room without supper, but had yet to give her a proper punishment.

Sighing again as she got to her feet, Raindra couldn't help but wonder if it would have been better if her mother had managed to convince her father to let her go with her when she left. Raindra could still remember the day her mother chose to leave them. It was the last time she had seen her mother, and it was the same day her father chose to quit being a pirate.

_The clouds drifting above grew dark with the promise of a storm as the ship continued to sail on the choppy waters of the sea in its attempt to find the nearest island. A young girl with midnight-colored hair ran about the ship, laughing as two men dressed as cats chased her. Her mother had cancelled lessons for the day and said she was free to do as she pleased so long as she didn't bother her father or the rest of the crew too much. The young four year old had instantly gone to find the Meowban Brothers. The two brothers were always willing to play a game of tag._

_"Catch me if you caaaan~"_

_Raindra sang with a giggle as she managed to slide between Buchi's legs and made a mad dash for the closest hiding place as Sham chased after her._

_Ducking into the room on her right, Raindra muffled her giggles with her hands as the two brother ran past her hiding place, completely oblivious to the fact she was just inches from them. She was about to run back out when the sound of her father's voice stopped her dead in her tracks._

_"And just what do you think you are doing?"_

_Turning to try and look at her father, assuming he was talking to her, she was about to apologize for running into his room without permission when her mother's voice sounded._

_"I'm leaving Kuro. I can't do this anymore. I can't keep pretending that we're a happy little family on a merchant's ship. Not when I know the truth."_

_Creeping closer, Raindra hid behind one of her father's bookshelves and peered through a gap between two giant books to see her father glaring hatefully at her mother and her mother with a frown on her face._

_"I'm taking Raindra with me."_

_"To hell you are!"_

_Raindra bit her lip to prevent herself from squealing at her father's tone. He was scary when angry. Why was her mother upsetting him? What did she mean she was leaving?_

_"She my daughter Kuro, you can't stop me."_

_Raindra watched as her mother turned to leave, but her father grabbed her wrist, making her spin back around to face him. Her dark blue hair whirling around her with the movement._

_"She is my daughter too Kimiko, or had you forgotten? You'll not be taking her anywhere."_

_Kuro threatened and Raindra could see her mother shaking, she couldn't see from where she was, the tears that streamed down her mother's face as she came to terms with the fact she wasn't going to be able to win this fight. If she tried taking her by force, she had no doubt that Kuro would have her killed. He was no longer the man she fell in love with. Or perhaps, he had never been the man she thought him to be and this was his true self. Either way, she couldn't bear to stay aboard this ship any longer._

_"I'll leave as soon as we make landfall. Until then, I will spend my remaining time with my daughter."_

_Kimiko spat hatefully before tearing her wrist from Kuro's grip and walking out of the room. Not wasting any time, Raindra backed away from her hiding spot as silently as she could before turning and running out of the room to find her mother. She didn't understand, but she didn't want her mom to leave._

Frowning at the memory from so long ago, Raindra mentally shook herself to clear her mind before knocking on the door that led to her father's room. She waited until she heard her father tell her to come inside before pushing the door open and walking inside.

"Raindra."

Kuro greeted, turning in the dark brown leather seat he was in by his desk to face her. Standing up straight with her hands behind her back, Raindra waited for him to continue. She had learned long ago not to say anything unless spoken to or asked a question. Her father was rather….strict. She could see him pushing his glasses up using the palm of his hand and shivered slightly when she remembered just why it was he had that weird habit. She had learned four years ago, the same day her mother left, the harsh truth about who her father actually was. He had never done anything to harm her and she didn't think he would, though she also tried not to provoke him either. At least when she could help it.

"You snuck out again."

Kuro stated, he didn't ask and Raindra knew he was displeased from the glint in his coal-black eyes.

"Why do you continue to disobey me Raindra?"

He asked and Raindra took a calming breath before answering her father.

"I just went out to play father. It gets so boring inside the mansion. Jango won't play with me and you left the Meowban Brothers and the rest of the crew on the ship so I don't have anyone to play with. The village kids-"

"The village kids have no business near here and you will do well to remember that!"

Flinching at her father's tone, Raindra watched as her father returned to the paperwork on his desk. The worst of his anger was gone now, he usually busied himself when he got too irritated to continue arguing with her.

"But father, if you would allow me to leave the mansion's courtyards then they wouldn't be anywhere near here. I could go play with them and come back before dark."

Raindra ventured, hoping her father would see the logic in her argument, though at the still of his quill she knew she was wrong.

"What are the names of these village children? We shall invite them to the field outside the mansion's gate so you can play."

Kuro said and from the chill that ran down her spine Raindra knew her father had no intention of letting her play with those children. If she gave him their names she was almost completely certain she would see their parents attending their funerals.

"I-I don't know their names father, they never tell me because I'm a girl."

She told him and caught the faintest of smirks on her father's pale face before he resumed his writing.

"You are to stay within the gates of the mansion and to make sure you follow these rules, Jango will accompany you until I decide your punishment is over. Is that understood?"

Her father asked, but she knew she didn't actually have a choice in the matter.

"Yes father."

She answered reluctantly before being dismissed. As soon as the door closed behind her she spun and stuck her tongue out at the dark oak door.

_'I don't need a babysitter. Least of all Jango.'_

Raindra thought bitterly before turning to head back to her room. She didn't miss the sound of footsteps that followed her and sighed as she realized her babysitter had been told about his duties already. Now how was she supposed to go play with Usopp and the others?


	2. New Home

The warm, summer-like breeze blew past Raindra's window and she sighed as she was confined to her bedroom. Jango was posted up outside her door and her father had long ago put bars on her window to prevent her from slipping out that way. Originally he had tried a key-required lock, but Raindra had quickly figured out how to pick the lock. Her father's next step had been to get one of the Meowban Brothers to wield iron bars onto the outside of her window. She was allowed to open her window all she wished, there was no hope of getting through the bars. It was a small 'fuck you' from her father she knew, he was daring her to try and figure out a way to escape now. And as much as Raindra disliked admitting it, everything she had tried had failed. She had no tools to break, bend, or weaken the bars. She was too big now to slip through them, if she had still been the size she was when she was six or seven she could easily slip through them.

Falling back onto her bed and glaring up at the ceiling as if it was her father, Raindra wondered how long her punishment would go on for. A month? Two? Three? More? How much had she upset her father this time with her slipping out to try and play with Usopp and the others? And that. She had gone through so much trouble and was now being punished for it and still Usopp and the boys continued to tell her no girls allowed any time she asked to play with them. When she succeeded in her escape attempts, Raindra would always go down to the cliffs on the eastern side of the island to the base of the Usopp Pirates. She loved the idea of being able to do as she pleased without worry of what her father would say. The carefree and playful days the boys spent playing pirate was something Raindra longed for. It was why, even after almost a year now, she continued to sneak out of the mansion's walls and sit just far enough away from Usopp and the others that they ignored her. Allowing her to watch them as they played and went about their business. Every day, she had gone and asked to join them. Everyday she was told no girls allowed. Part of her wished to give up, since it was obvious they weren't going to allow her to join. However, there was another part of her. A part of her that while quiet most of the time, jumped up and screamed at her not to give up. Not to let that stop her from her dream of freedom. She would suffer through her punishment until her father decided it was no longer needed. Then, as soon as it was safe for her to do so, she was going to leave. As silly as it was, she simply wanted a friend aside from Kaya. Someone outside the mansion's walls. Someone who didn't greet and treat her like she was something special. She was simply Raindra. Nothing more, nothing less.

* * *

A young black sheep-haired boy wearing a brown bandana and overalls called for a meeting by a pile of large tree trunks that had been cut for latter use by the adults on the island. He watched with a smile as the members of his crew slowly made their way to stand before him. First was Tamanegi, the orange haired child in glasses who was eager to please his captain. Second, Piiman came running out with a large stick in hand. The green haired boy was willing to fight for his crew while on adventures to find treasure and obtain glory. Finally, Ninjin slowly walked up to stand beside the two other boys on his crew. The purple haired boy stood silently, though interested at the end. The freckles on his face almost hidden by his hair being pushed down in front of his eyes by the orange bandana he wore, bearing the Usopp Pirates' symbol. Once all together, the three boys waited patiently at attention, waiting with baited breath for him to speak and for their adventure to begin.

The black-haired boy in overalls straightened his back and began to greet his crew with explaining what their grand adventure had in store for them today. It wasn't until he was halfway through explaining and not having been interrupted as he had been so many times before, that he realized he had unknowingly stopped and turned, fully expecting to see the familiar pale skinned, midnight-blue haired girl smiling at them, wanting to join their crew. The fact she wasn't there made him pause.

"Captain Usopp?"

"Captain."

"You okay Captain?"

The chorused concerned questions of his crew brought Usopp to turn his head and look at them.

"Have you guys seen that girl?"

He asked them as he turned back, thinking maybe she had turned up when he wasn't looking. Playing a joke on him, he was sure. Surely they hadn't actually sent her away for good?

"Who?"

Tamanegi asked, looking confused. Ninjin then turned towards his fellow crewmates when he thought of the girl's name.

"You know, Raindra! She always asks to join the crew."

Piiman's eyes widened as recognition passed over his eyes.

"And Captain always says.."

"No Girls Allowed!"

The three boys chorused together with smiles and laughter following. Usopp, however, wasn't fully listening to the other guys. His eyes still stared at the spot Raindra always came from, a look of trepid hope in her storm cloud-colored eyes.

"Right, so where is she?"

Piiman asked, and finally the other boys seemed to realize what Usopp had. Raindra had showed up one morning almost a year ago now. She had seen Usopp trying to climb down from the top of a tree he'd been using as a lookout post after he'd spotted her. His intent had been to tell her to go away, no girls allowed. But the branch he'd been holding onto snapped and he fell. His overalls caught on a lower branch before long, but the angle he was caught at gave him no way to reach for footholds to stabilize himself or reach for a way to pull himself up. He was stuck. He could still hear her laughter as she stared up at him from the base of the tree, having moved closer during his unintentional rapid descent. She had offered him assistance, but Usopp had stubbornly refused and told her to go away. Girls weren't allowed. Usopp smiled despite himself as he continued to recall the memory of his first meeting with Raindra. His overalls had started to rip at that point and there was nothing he could do except prepare for the harsh crash when he fell. He had been so focused and worried about how badly a fall from this high would hurt, that when he felt something grab and hoist him to the side he yelped. He was ashamed to admit it wasn't a very manly yelp, but he thought he was going to die. When he once again heard melodious laughter Usopp opened his eyes to see a firm, unmoving branch beneath him. Raindra had climbed the tree, scaled the five feet to where he was, deduced the situation, and took action all before Usopp had even realized she had moved. She was good, that was one of the reasons Usopp continued to tell her no when she asked if she could join. He was worried she would show him up and make him look bad in front of the others. He was the Captain, he couldn't look bad in front of his crew. He'd scrambled away from her and wound up falling to the ground anyways. As he was pulling himself into a sitting position, Raindra simply jumped from the branch they'd been settled on, and landed in a small pile of leaves to the left side of the trunk. She asked what he was doing and if she could play with. Usopp had denied her and walked away, going about his business with the boys and their mischief. Though his refusal didn't seem to deter her much, as Raindra followed them wherever they went. She never joined in on whatever they were doing, but she never tried stopping them either. She would be in the same area, but always a few feet away. Enough to say she wasn't involved if she was ever asked, but close enough to fully see what they did. Then when they were done for the day, she would wait as all the boys said good night, then she too would tell Usopp good night before rushing off.

The fact that for a year now, Raindra had been a constant no matter the weather and no matter how many times he turned her away, and now she was simply gone did not sit well with Usopp. His stomach felt cold and suddenly each beat of his heart felt as if it hurt. He looked back at the boys who made up his crew and smiled as an idea formed in his head.

"Usopp Pirates, listen up!"

* * *

/Hgn1OBvGo6M If i'm not mistaken, add https and a colon and that link should work. Shout out videos are a thing.


	3. No Girls Allowed

"You need to eat Kaya."

Raindra urged her young friend as she pushed the bowl of soup closer to her. Her father had left Raindra in charge of caring for the young heiress. Since her parents' passing, Raindra and her father had taken a special place in Kaya's life. It had been four years since the two of them had showed up on the island. Raindra wasn't sure what, but something had changed in her father ever since her mother left. During the crew's excursions at sea and land her father would become more and more agitated until he locked himself in his room aboard the ship and only came out to give orders and eat dinner. When they suddenly landed on Gecko Island and wandered to Syrup Village, Raindra had expected more of the violent attacks and merciless looting the crew had done on every other island so far. She had always stayed on the ship during those times, or her father would order Jango or the Meowban Brothers to act as her bodyguards and she would explore the island if it caught her interest. So when her father left over half the crew on the ship and only took her, Jango, and the Meowban Brothers Raindra was rather confused. Her confusion grew even more when Jango showed up with new clothes for them all.

It hadn't taken her father long after knocking on the door to the biggest house on the island to sweet talk his way into a new life. That was the day Raindra first met Kaya and her were all very sweet and let them stay at the mansion as long as her father worked for them and she promised to play with Kaya. The two girls quickly became friends and the years flew by. Birthday parties, formal classes, etiquette classes, slumber parties, movie nights, fights and make ups; the two had bonded so much in the last four years that Raindra considered the young heiress to be her sister. So the fact Kaya's health had been declining so rapidly in the last year that she was on bed rest under doctor's orders was something that worried the young bluenette. She was sure Kaya remembered the same sudden illness taking first her mother, then her father. Raindra wasn't sure she could handle losing her best friend.

"You act just like a mother Raindra."

Kaya joked, but Raindra was pleased to see the other girl pick up the spoon and start eating.

"Well someone has to make sure you eat. If you don't, you won't have any strength to get better."

"How lucky I am then to have such a diligent care-taker."

Kaya said with a smile before eating a few spoonfuls of the soup Raindra had brought her. Ever since Kaya's health started declining, Raindra had taken over making sure Kaya ate healthy to help her recover as much as she can. She studied up on different cuisine to find the best combination of food to give the most nutrients. It was one of the few things she had shown interest in that her father hadn't refused to allow her to pursue. Swordplay, no. Self-Defense, no. Planning the crew's next move, no.

"So good as always Rain."

Kaya said with a pleased sigh after finishing the bowl of soup Raindra had prepared.

"I'm glad you liked it, you need some rest or do you feel up to company?"

Raindra asked as she gathered the dirty dishes and walked them to the door. She handed them to Buchi and he took them to the kitchen since Sham brought them to the bedroom. Her father insisted the brothers carry the meal to Kaya's room even though Raindra didn't mind doing it herself, but he insisted that she not have to cook and deliver it so she didn't argue.

"Some company would be lovely."

Smiling, Raindra practically tan back towards Kaya's King-sized bed and jumped. The two girls giggled as the bed jostled them both around. Kaya half-heartedly threw one of her pillows at Raindra and the bluenette retaliated with a throw pillow that had been forgotten at the foot of the bed. Laughter and squeals of delight filled the room as the two continued their pillow fight, the sound drowning out everything else and being fully ignored by Raindra's bodyguard standing outside in the hall. Jango had learned along the years of being assigned to follow Raindra that sometimes it was in his best interest to give her space. She wasn't the daughter of the man of a thousand plans for nothing. If he got on her nerves, she would spend the remainder of her punishment coming up with ways to make him despise his job. Buckets full of feathers after walking into a plastic sheet spread across the doorway smeared with honey, hair remover in his shampoo bottle, holes poked into the center of his sunglasses-he still wasn't sure how she managed to do that and not break them-so he was content to let her do her own thing so long as she didn't blatantly try sneaking out again.

The two girls fell back, pillows falling from hands, in exhausted huffs. Both were breathing heavily, but smiles were present on their faces. Their laughter turned into soft giggles as they tried calling down. The sudden pink, pink, pink at Kaya's window made the dup sit up in unison before waiting to see if they could hear it again. After a few moments another series of pinks confirmed that the girls had indeed heard something. Raindra looked at Kaya who nodded her consent, then she moved and opened the window to see what was causing the sound. Storm-cloud eyes widened upon seeing a familiar sheep-haired boy in overalls casually sitting on a branch in the tree nearest Kaya's window.

"Usopp!"

Kaya shouted surprised, but happy to see the brunette regardless. Raindra simply moved back from the window and resumed her spot on Kaya's bed. It wasn't the first time Usopp had come to see Kaya, the two were good friends. Usopp told funny stories and Kaya enjoyed hearing them. Usopp didn't seem to mind if she was there and Raindra assumed it had something to do with the fact he didn't have the need to try and impress Kaya like he did with the rest of the Usopp Pirates.

"Hey Kaya, I'm here on a rescue mission. Have you seen your friend Raindra?"

He asked, piquing Raindra's attention.

"You're looking for me?"

Raindra asked surprised and saw what she thought to be relief flash across Usopp's face.

"Of course, no member of the Usopp Pirates is allowed to miss a meeting without their captain's express permission!"

He exclaimed loudly and Raindra stared at him like he was an idiot for a moment before his words registered.

"Wait a minute….does that mean I get to join you guys?"

She asked, a hopeful smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Only if you think you can get away. This should be a good test to see if you have what it takes to-"

Raindra stopped listening at that point, said her goodbyes to Kaya, climbed up onto the windowsill and jumped out.

"Let's go Captain!"

Raindra said over her shoulder with a wide smile as she passed Usopp on the branch he was sitting on and quickly started climbing down the tree.

"Wha-Wait for me!"

Usopp exclaimed before scrambling down the tree after her. Raindra Was waiting for him at the foot of the tree.

"This is supposed to be a rescue mission."

Usopp pouted as he lost his footing on the way down and fell face first onto the ground. Raindra stifled a giggle as she helped Usopp to his feet.

"Then lead the escape Captain."

Raindra said and didn't miss the way Usopp straightened his back in an attempt to look the part of the role he was playing. She kept it to herself that he failed miserably.

Raindra happily followed Usopp along the hedges lining the mansions courtyard and watched as he pulled a block of shrubbery from the middle of the hedges, it had been perfectly cut and left no sign of being loose once out back in place. The fact she had lived here for four years and had no clue how Usopp successfully kept getting in and out of the courtyard without being caught made her want to hit her head against something.

_'Well that would have made sneaking out a lot easier.'_

Raindra thought to herself as she ran after Usopp after he out the block of shrubbery back, seamlessly sealing the wall of hedges once more. Usopp turned to her with a huge smile that she returned before her eyes widened in fear and the smile fell from her face.

"Run!"

She whispered hastily as she grabbed Usopp by the front of his overalls and ran in the direction of the village.

"Wha-? Why are we running!?"

Usopp shouted and Raindra cut him a glare that made him do a zipper motion with his lips, but it was already too late.

"Get back here!"

The sound of her uncle's voice made Raindra put as much power into her legs as she could as she dragged Usopp along behind her.

"It's my uncle Jango, he is in charge of watching me. He must have noticed I wasn't in Kaya's room anymore."

Raindra explained as the two of them tried to outrun Jango, but her uncle was used to chasing her down by now.

"He's gaining on us!"

Usopp shouted worriedly and Raindra tried thinking of a way to get them out of this situation as they ran into the village. She spotted a bunch of barrels a few yards away and pointed them out to Usopp.

"You hide, I'll lead him away and come back for you."

Usopp said and before Raindra could try to convince him otherwise, the brunette had run off shouting taunts at her uncle.

_'Idiot, if he catches you my dad will make sure you never return to the manor ever again.'_

Raindra thought, but decided to trust Usopp as she quickly scrambled over the lip of the barrel and hunkered down inside.

Time seemed to slow down for Raindra as she kept her ears peeled for any noises outside that would let her know how things were going. She didn't dare take a peek outside in case it gave away her hiding spot. She wasn't sure what possessed her to trust Usopp, especially given the fact he had been consistently rude and exclusive to her for about a year now. However, he did come to rescue her when her father wouldn't allow her outside. Maybe he wasn't so bad afterall.

As more time passed, Raindra started to get worried that perhaps her uncle really had managed to capture Usopp and now he was looking for her. Should she stay put? Should she make a break for it? She'd have to go back home at some point, was there a point to hiding in the first place?

_'Of course there is! I demand my freedom!'_

Raindra chastised herself for her doubts before deciding to give Usopp a few more minutes before she was going to make a break for the Usopp Pirates' base. She was pretty certain if Usopp did manage to get away from Jango that he would head there.

_'Alright, I'll just meet him there.'_

Right as Raindra decided to make her move, there was a knock on the outside of the barrel she was hiding in.

"That you Raindra?"

The whispered sound of Usopp's voice made a smile spread across Raindra's face.

"You managed to get away from uncle Jango?"

She asked as Usopp helped her out of the barrel.

"Of course."

"I didn't think you'd come back for me."

The bluenette said once she had both feet on the ground and didn't miss the hurt look that crossed Usopp's face.

"I'll always come back for my friends, that's a promise."

Usopp told her and Raindra couldn't help but smile, her heart feeling lighter than it had in ages.

They made it to the usual meeting place of the Usopp Pirates, Raindra saw the other three members standing beneath the flag tied to the top of a pole in the center of the clearing.

"Captain!"

The three boys chorused before running forward and greeting them. Apparently her absence had bothered them and so they devised a plan to free her. Raindra didn't think she had made any kind of progress in her attempt to befriend the boys, but she found she was rather pleased to have been proven wrong.

"Was it hard saving her?"

Piiman asked, voicing the other two boys' curiosity from the looks on their faces and Raindra stood quietly as she learned of the friends she wasn't aware she had.

"It was nothing for the mighty Captain Usopp!"

Usopp exclaimed proudly, making Raindra smile.

"So...not that I'm not grateful, but what made you change your mind?"

The young bluenette asked, unable to help her curiosity. From the way Usopp flushed when all eyes turned on him Raindra would have thought it was a crush, but the space between them and the fact Usopp seemed too innocent for such thoughts made her realize he simply wasn't used to being put on the spot, despite his bravado.

"Why not? I couldn't really see a reason to keep telling you no. The more the merrier!"

Usopp responded finally, a friendly smile spreading across his face that was mirrored by the boys surrounding him. Raindra was a little bewildered with the sudden change in events, but couldn't see any hidden messages in the way the boys smiled and a smile of her own spread across her face at finally having made some friends on her own.

* * *

_Four years later…_

Releasing the hold she had on the cliffside, Raindra let herself fold backwards as she fell and upon seeing the bright yellow flower with unusual purple thorns, smiled as she flipped her body so she was right side up as she fell. Reaching out and managing to grab the flower that only grew on the cliff face, Raindra couldn't help but laugh at the shocked cries of disbelief from Piiman and the others as she finished yet another high ranked assignment from their captain.

After having allowed herself to freefall as far as she dared, Raindra shifted her body so she fell closer to the cliffside then kicked off once she was as close as she needed to be. The young bluenette suddenly soared skyward, always kicking off from the side of the cliff right before gravity started to take effect again. Landing a few feet from Piiman and the other Usopp Pirates, Raindra proudly held out the odd flower their captain had read about and found out it grew around this part of the ocean. It had been Raindra's mission from the captain to roam the island and see if she could find a yellow flower with purple thorns growing anywhere on the island. She was the one who decided to bring it back, this decision being what had her climbing down into the ravine.

"Wow Rain, is there anything you can't do?!"

Usopp asked upon her and the boys returning to base. As small droplets of water started falling from the sky, the young bluenette frowned as she got to get feet.

"Control the weather so I don't have to go home."

Usopp sent his friend a sympathetic smile, it was no secret that Raindra and her father didn't get along. Over the last four years Usopp had spent with her, Raindra had continuously defied her father and even actively went out if her way to interfere with whatever he happens to be working on. Raindra had explained who her father was long ago, the fact his best friend was the daughter of a notorious pirate scared him to death, but he wasn't afraid of Raindra. No, he was scared of her father. She had long ago given up hiding the fact she snuck out to hang out with Usopp and the boys, but despite her father's best attempts none of his men could stop her anymore. The last four years of her dodging, sneaking, and planning her ways out everyday to enjoy her freedom had turned his best friend into quite an agile young woman. The boys insisted on starting battle training soon and Usopp isn't sure he wants to. On the one hand, it would be good for them to prepare for when they set out to sea. On the other, he just knows if he does Raindra will show him up and he couldn't live with himself if the boys suddenly wanted her to be captain instead of him.

"I'm sorry Rain. You know my place is always open."

Usopp offered as he got to his feet and started down the path back to town.

"Yeah, I'll see you."

Raindra mumbled as a quiet reply before heading in the direction of the mansion that acted as her prison. Usopp didn't envy her as he had before knowing her. She had Kaya still, but with her health declining they both may be close to losing a friend neither of them were ready to say goodbye to. So there really wasn't any form of warmth in those halls for Raindra to go home to.

Raindra sighed for what had to be the hundredth time as she walked the far coast line that lead back to the mansion. She could have taken the main city roads like Usopp to get back home, but she wasn't suppose to be out in the first place. Her father was going to be upset with her regardless upon her return, though there was no need to make it worse for herself by taking a stroll through the city. Living in the mansion the last few years had given her father more of a superiority complex than he had already had as captain of a notorious pirate crew. The older she grew, the more she learned about the kind of man her father was and the more she grew to despise him. It had been he who sent her mother away. It had been he who prevented her from having friends. It had been he who punished her for simply wanting to be a child. It had been he who had killed and ordered the death of hundreds of people throughout his reign as pirate captain. She was sure that wasn't everything he had done, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't figure out what his goal to having come to this island was. Usually she was able to figure out what her father was up to after a while, the only other time she hadn't been able to was when her mother left and her father had done nothing but help speed up the process of her departure.

Shaking her head of thoughts that would only upset her further, Raindra moved to step away from the coast line as she got closer to the area where the ground became unstable to walk on after years of ocean waves colliding with it and eroding away the base of the cliffside. The combination of her absent-mindedness and the rain lead to the young woman realizing too late that she had gone too far out onto the unstable ground as it gave way beneath her. She tried doubling back as quickly as she could, but it was no use as more and more of the ground beneath her feet gave way. Then, she was falling. Where most would have screamed or been afraid, Raindra remained calm and let her eyes scan the area as she fell. She was too far from the cliffside to slow her descent and even if she was close enough, the rocks and soil were too loose to provide any form of stability for her to catch herself.

Looking around for some way to prevent her untimely death upon impact, Raindra noticed a particularly large wave hurtling towards the cliff and realized it would hit before she reached the ground. Frowning at her luck, Raindra just hoped the impact of the wave wouldn't be hard enough to make her smack into the face of the cliff. Without much else in the way of options, Raindra brought her arms and legs in as close to her body as she could as she continued to fall. The survival rate of her predicament wasn't looking good, but Raindra smiled sadly to herself as she realized she would rather die here than return to that house. Closing her eyes, Raindra took a deep breath seconds before she was swallowed whole by the crashing waves.


	4. The More The Merrier

_Kiteria: Sup folks. Here's chapter four, hope you guys enjoy. Things will be a severe slow burn but for now I'm trying to focus on the story and character development before turning romantic. Going to take a separate approach this time._

* * *

Raindra opened her eyes with a gasp that turned into a coughing fit. Forcing herself over onto her side, the bluenette threw up the swallowed sea water that filled her lungs until her ribs ached, her throat was raw, and her eyes were watering. The pounding in her head only added to her sense of disorientation, she hadn't the slightest clue where she was or what happened. Last thing she recalled was walking back to the mansion and the ground giving way beneath her.

_'That's right I fell.'_

Flopping back against the rocky ground she had washed up on, Raindra's watery eyes widened at the sheer height of the cliff she'd previously been standing on. Propping herself on her elbows the young woman stared out in awe at the vast sea that had most assuredly saved her life. If the waves had been any calmer she would have fallen to her death, yet had they been any wilder she would have been bashed against the cliff face before being drug out to sea by the currents.

Recovering from her shock of such a near death experience, Raindra pulled herself into a sitting position. Giving her surroundings a few moments of scrutiny the bluenette was once again shocked by her luck. It would appear the wave she had fallen into swept her up to the tidepools that were nestled along the opening to one of the many sea caves along the foundation of the island. As she looked at the pool she'd been lying in, Raindra couldn't help but admire the radiant beauty of the marine wildlife that thrived there. The water was so blue it was almost as if she was staring into a second sky. Just beneath the water's surface she could see a whole ecosystem moving to and fro with the sway of the water. Starfish clung to submerged rocks and coral reefs of every color. A school of silvery fish swam past her feet and disappeared behind what looked like a sea anemone. Fish in small clusters moved fluidly beneath the water's surface in an array of blues, greens, yellows, and reds. Sea grass flowed softly along the edges of the tidepool in a mesmerizing dance. The sun reflected off the surface of the water in a dazzling ray of light that momentarily blinded her until she shielded her eyes with a hand.

"What is that?"

Raindra asked to no one but the ocean when an odd color of one of the smaller coral reefs caught her eye. Moving closer despite the screaming protest of her body Raindra's brow furrowed in confusion. As she got closer, the purple coral that had caught her attention looked less like coral and more like a ball of some sort. Cautiously wading out into the deeper part of the tidepool, careful not to disturb the wildlife too much, Raindra crouched down and tentatively reached a hand out towards the purple ball wedged between the outer walls of the rock making up the tidepool. Picking it up Raindra's eyes widened in realization that what she held in her hand was neither a piece of a coral reef or a ball, but was in fact a strangely colored strawberry.

Staring at the piece of fruit she held in her hands, Raindra could feel an almost dark power emanating from it. It scared her, the power held within the fruit she now held in her hands. Raindra's mind was buzzing with more than just a few questions. Why was there a random strawberry on an island that didn't grow any? Why was it purple? Why was it the size of her hand? What was with the strange designs on the outside? Tiny black swirls extended out from each seed, covering the entire fruit. Raindra was about to put it back where she had found it when a memory from her childhood suddenly entered her mind.

_"Today you will learn about Devil Fruits."_

_A young Raindra nodded enthusiastically at her mother before frowning._

_"What's a Duvil Foot mommy?"_

_Raindra asked receiving a gentle smile from her mother as she placed a book on the young four year old's desk._

_"They're called Devil Fruits sweetheart, and they are mysterious fruits that appear all over the world that give whoever eats one unimaginable powers."_

_Raindra's eyes widened in awe as she looked through the book her mother had given her._

_"They are all funny colors and have weird markings on them."_

_Raindra's mother couldn't help but laugh at the hint of disdain in her daughter's voice that only a child refusing to eat something could have._

_"Every Devil Fruit has distinct markings on the outside like the ones shown in that book. That is only a list of the known ones that have appeared in the world. No one knows where these cursed fruit come from or what purpose they serve. All that is known about them is their distinct appearance and that anyone who eats one to gain whatever ability is stored inside is forever cursed by the sea and loses their ability to swim."_

_The young Raindra flipped through the book on Devil Fruits with silent awe, taking in their appearance and storing it to memory so she would know if she ever came across one._

Staring at the fruit in her hand, Raindra decided the best thing to do would be to first get out of the tidepool and back onto dry land. The tide should be out and she needed to start figuring out a way to get back to the surface of the island. Hoisting herself over the rocky ledge, Raindra stumbled upon landing but managed to stay upright. Her head was still pounding, but it was fading to a slight pulse that for now she could ignore. Stashing the Devil Fruit a few paces away from the tidepool, Raindra decided to check the cave she'd seen for a way back up the island.

Picking her way carefully along the rock-lined shore, Raindra took a few tentative steps inside the mouth of the cave once she got closer.

"Hello?"

She called out, hearing her voice echo back again and again before fading away into muffled cries. Taking one last look back towards the tidepool she had woken up in, Raindra chose to keep walking. Staying in one spot wouldn't help her any, so exploration it was.

As she walked deeper into the cave, she had to take a moment for her eyes to adjust from the blinding brightness of the mid-afternoon sun to the dim lighting of the cavern. The rock walls opened up to provide quite a bit of room in the mouth of the cave, there was a stream of light shining in from a hole in the ceiling. She could make out the shadowed silhouettes of hundreds of stalactites hanging down from the ceiling and noticed the ground changed from sandy beach to the solid stone floor of the cave. Being careful not to fall into any holes as she made her way cautiously further and further into the cave. Soon she noticed she was having to climb over ledges and pull herself up large rocks to go any further. She was starting to hope she might actually be able to get out of here when she saw a light at the end of the tunnel she was following. Speeding up as much as she dared, Raindra stumbled over the last stalagmite lined part of the path she'd found only to let a groan of exasperation escape her as she found herself back in the mouth of the cave, right back where she'd started. Taking a moment to look around after taking a few seconds to calm herself, Raindra noticed there were two other caves that she hoped lead deeper into the cave and upward towards the surface. She'd taken the one on her left and it had somehow lead her back here.

_'Best two out of three I suppose.'_

Raindra figured as she started walking towards the middle cavern that snaked its way along the bottom of the cave she'd found. Her shoes found the water before her ears and she frowned as she continued walking, her socks becoming quickly soaked as she went. Thankfully the water never got deeper than her ankles, but it made walking rather irritating and did nothing to help lighten her current predicament. Noticing the water recede, Raindra smiled as she saw light a few paces ahead of her.

"Finally."

She whispered relieved as she took the last step out into the light. Waiting for her eyes to adjust, she found herself frowning when she saw the same rocky walls of the mouth of the cave.

"You have got to be kidding me right?"

Raindra muttered as she turned around to stare at the entrance she'd just come out of. Both this one and the last one had lead her back to the main cavern of the cave. Sighing and blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face, Raindra all but glared distrustfully at the last remaining cave. Despite the slowly growing feeling in the pit of her stomach that she wasn't getting out through the cave, the bluenette still continued on. She had to confirm it for herself.

The unwelcome chill that greeted her upon returning from the last cavern only added to the disgruntled bluenette's pissy mood. The last cavern had been much longer than the previous two and took what felt like hours to get through. From the fact that the sun was now setting as she fully exited the sea cave, she'd surmised that she was right. As she made her way back to the tidepool, her stomach grumbled, protesting against the lack of food for the last few hours. Glancing around in an attempt to find something to eat, Raindra's eyes momentarily paused on the Devil Fruit sitting almost harmlessly among the sand before shaking her head and walking towards the edge of the tidepool. She knew there were some fish in there, and if she didn't eat too many then she wouldn't risk harming the ecosystem too much.

"Right, well there's no way I'm eating it raw."

Raindra said aloud to herself as she walked along the small beach in search for anything she could use to make a fire. After some searching, Raindra returned to the cave with her arms full of a few pieces of sand-covered driftwood and a handful of dry grass. Deciding the cave would be the best place to spend the night seeing how it had the most to offer in way of shelter, Raindra found a small indent in the cave's floor and started to build her fire there. She brushed off the wet sand that clung to the driftwood the best she could before stuffing the grass beneath it. Picking up the two rocks she'd found, Raindra struck them against one another in an attempt to get a spark. Again she tried and nothing happened. Shaking off the chill of the approaching night, Raindra continued to strike the two rocks against one another and soon was rewarded for her persistence when a whitish-yellow spark flew out and landed inches from the dry grass before sizzling out.

"Hey! Why you little…"

Frowning before moving closer to the kindling she'd found, Raindra tried again. This time it didn't take but once before sparks flew from the rocks in her hands and fell on the grass. The whitish-yellow sparks turned into red little baby flames that started licking and burning at the dry grass. Excitedly, but carefully, Raindra blew at the slowly burning coals hoping to feed them enough to catch the driftwood ablaze otherwise it was going to be a long night. A long, cold, night.

"Yes!"

Cheering at her success and moving back as the flames grew once they hit the driftwood, Raindra stared in awe at the different colored flames. She didn't know flames could be any color other than red, yellow, and orange. To see green and blue flames as the fire burned the salt on the driftwood, Raindra couldn't help but admire the beauty in such a destructive form.

A growl from her stomach pulled the young bluenette from her thoughts and reminded her of the other reason she build a fire in the first place. Heading back to the tidepool, Raindra wasted no time in wading out to her waist where it was the deepest and waited. There weren't any sticks she could spare to use for a spear, she'd needed all the ones she'd found for the fire and to keep it going throughout the night. She had read somewhere that it was possible to catch a fish with ones bare hands, it just took patience and timing. She recalled the book had said something about not trusting the fish's location based on the reflection on the water's surface. Never thinking she'd have to use the knowledge, but glad to have it, Raindra waited. Being as still as she could be, Raindra's eyes trained on the swimming fish that were coming her way. Hand poised just above the surface of the water but not close enough to leave a shadow that might alert her prey, Raindra's hand shot out when she thought she had it only for her to come away empty handed and the fish to swim away from her. Cursing her luck, Raindra moved a few feet to the left before waiting again. After failing a few more times, Raindra's luck changed and she managed to successfully catch two fish, both the size of her hand.

Climbing back out of the tidepool, Raindra headed back towards the cave and used two of the sticks from her small pile of firewood that she'd managed to find and skewered the two fish after using a sharp rock she'd found lying nearby to descale and gut them as best she could. Now glad her father had actually allowed her to learn something of the culinary arts, Raindra carried the fish guts out to the ocean and tossed them in the water so as not to attract any animals to the cave she was using for shelter. She noticed the triangular shaped dorsal fins that emerged from the surface of the water and took a good couple steps back from the shoreline as she saw three different sharks fight over the bloody innards of the fish. Deciding it best to not give them any reason to come any closer to shore, Raindra headed back inside the cave and sat before the fire as she waited for her meal to finish cooking. She wondered if anyone had noticed she'd gone missing. Was anyone out looking for her? How long could she stay down here? Should she try calling for someone? Would anyone even be able to hear her? How long before the tide came back in? Those sharks wouldn't let her try swimming along the shore, so that option was out the window.

"Guess I really am stuck down here."

Raindra grumbled as she picked up the first fish and started eating. As she finished the second fish, tossing its bones into the fire for added kindling, Raindra sighed before lying back against the rocky floor of the cave. The cold of the floor chilled her, but scooting closer to the fire Raindra managed to get warm enough to fall asleep. Maybe tomorrow would yield better results. She wouldn't be stuck forever, tomorrow she would get out of here….somehow.


	5. Ash and Soot

_Kiteria: Sorry for the late update guys, my sister is visiting so I was a little distracted. Hope the longer chapter makes up for it. We are finally seeing some development. Please, be sure to leave me a review and let me know what you think so far. _

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The early morning light slowly crept into the cave, chasing away the darkness with gentle rays of sunshine. Feeling a change in warmth on her forearm, Raindra shifted so that her arm was no longer under the rays of the sun. Snoozing happily for a few more moments, the dark haired bluenette frowned in her sleep, trying to cling to the last remnants of unconsciousness, as the sun had reached her lower back. Rolling over to get away from the sun the young thirteen year old unknowingly rolled over the slowly dying embers of the fire she'd built last night to stay warm. The sudden burning sensation on her lower back made Raindra's eyes shoot open and a scream of surprise filled the cave. Quickly rolling back over Raindra tried getting her bearings with what was going on. Where was she? What was going on? Why was her back on fire?

Whining as she got to her knees, Raindra tenderly touched her lower back where the burning sensation was coming from and hissed in pain when her fingers touched freshly charred skin. Looking around for what could have been the source of the burn her slate grey eyes narrowed at the dying campfire she'd made the night before. The embers were strewn about and ash covered the stone floor of the cave making it hard to tell where the sand of the beach ended and it began.

_'Well I'm awake now.'_

Raindra thought grumpily as she kicked sand in the general direction of the campfire. It served no purpose since it was dying anyway, but it made her feel marginally better after her burning wake up call.

Heading out onto the beach, Raindra shielded her eyes from the early morning light as she waited for her brain to catch up to the rest of her in waking up. The cold water of the tidepool helped in that aspect and soon she had breakfast.

Tossing the bones of the last fish into the fire, Raindra sighed exasperatedly. She had tried her best, but already there was only about six or seven fish left in the tidepool. If she kept eating from it she could risk wiping out the ecosystem. She had to find a way to the surface before she had no choice but to deplete the pool completely. Truthfully the thing that was bothering her the most was the dream she'd had last night and the thought it had placed in the back of her mind that she couldn't seem to shake. It was impossible to ignore that she wasn't able to get out of her predicament on her own. Glancing in the direction of the focus of her thoughts Raindra got to her feet, they lead her over to the small fruit of their own accord. She was certain she hadn't wanted to be anywhere near the mysterious fruit.

"You won't kill me…..right?"

She asked the fruit as she picked it up, sitting down on the sandy beach and crossing her legs to get comfortable. The fruit had very little weight to it and felt just as a normal strawberry would. Even with the similarities, Raindra couldn't ignore the power she felt coming from the little fruit. She knew her question was silly, everyone knew Devil Fruits didn't kill the eater. The only dangers from consuming one of the cursed fruits was the person lost their ability to swim and Sea Prism Stone was forever out of their choice of wardrobe.

Taking a moment to look up at the sky, the sun was already making its way to the middle as time continued to pass. She'd been down here almost a whole day and a half already and yet no one had seemed to notice. Or if they had they were simply waiting for her to return on her own before punishing her for disappearing without notice or taking her precious bodyguard. If she wasn't in such a predicament she would have found it funny how well she knew her father.

_'I never really liked swimming in the first place.'_

She reasoned with herself before bringing the fruit to her face. Sniffing at it apprehensively Raindra closed her eyes then brought the fruit to her mouth and took a big bite, hoping whatever power was stored inside the fruit would help her get out of her current situation. The taste that hit her tongue when she started chewing nearly made Raindra spit the fruit back out. She had expected the taste to be that of a regular strawberry, so when it tasted like ash and soot Raindra could barely force herself to swallow the bite she had taken. Glaring at the remaining bit of the Devil Fruit she had started to eat, Raindra steeled herself to finish it. The second and third bites were just as bad as the first, but soon enough all that was left was the leafy green stem that she let fall to the ground. Using the back of her hand to wipe the juice from the fruit from her mouth, Raindra got to her feet and looked down at her hands. She didn't feel any different, but she recalled the book she'd read about Devil Fruits saying it could sometimes take up to ten minutes for the effects of the consumed Devil Fruit to become apparent.

_'However, it also said it could become apparent immediately.'_

With that thought in mind, Raindra took a deep breath to steady her nerves and held her right arm out in front of her. She didn't understand it, but she knew the power gifted to her from the fruit was going to require a bit of work to get the hang of.

_'Alright, let's see just what the Climate Climate Fruit can do.'_

* * *

"I want to be informed the moment she comes home."

Kuro said, using the palm of his hand to push his glasses back up his nose. His wayward daughter had not only once again snuck out of the estate, but it was nearing the time she had been reported missing the previous day. He knew her rebellious state would only get worse the more he tried to reign her in, but he didn't think she would choose to stay anywhere but the mansion. He wasn't trying to fully control her, he just wanted her to see that playing with the village children would only cause her problems. All those children did was lie and pretend to be pirates, hardly a thing he wanted his daughter to be a part of. That part of their life was far behind them, he refused to allow himself to lose the rest of his family.

"Yes sir."

Jango responded and Kuro dismissed his old first mate. Jango had come in to report Raindra had been kidnapped by one of the villagers' children and they had gotten away from him about noon yesterday. Kuro had told him they would wait for his daughter's return and handle it then. Only she didn't return home. The thought of his daughter sleeping in someone else's home or outside instead of warm in her bed simply to spite him hurt him, but not as much as it infuriated him. There was so much of Kimiko in her that Kuro momentarily cursed his wife for her stubbornness.

Once the door to his office was closed behind Jango, Kuro turned his desk chair around to face the windows that made up the back wall. He could see down into the courtyard of the mansion to the fountain in the middle. He remembered when they first arrived here and the young lady's parents had allowed him and his daughter to stay here that he had brought his daughter to the fountain to show her the grounds of their new home. His five year old daughter had been so delighted by the sight of the fountain that she had smiled for the first time since her mother had left them. If he had to take a guess of when he started to lose his little girl, it would have been the day his wife left them both. It only recently became apparent to him that Raindra blamed him for her leaving, and to be honest, she had every right to. He couldn't put his pride aside long enough to listen to her. He didn't want to stop being a pirate until he himself had finally simply had enough of that life. He was tired of Marines always coming after his head. He was tired of other pirates trying to attack them to increase their own bounties. Though if he were to be honest with himself, the real reason he quit was the visit from the that boy. To think he and his entire crew were wiped out by a single ten year old. He didn't understand what the kid was thinking, making a deal like that with his daughter and sparing their lives. He had even tried telling the boy over the years that the deal made was void and held no weight. That he had no right to his daughter, but something in the young boy's eyes told him he had no intention of letting their deal go.

Sighing before returning to his deck, Kuro folded his fingers together and rest his chin upon them as he tried thinking of a way to protect his daughter. So long as she stayed here on the island with him then she was safe, but with the influence this boy Usopp has had over her and her continued rebellion against him he wasn't so sure that that would happen. He was honestly terrified for the future his daughter might have to live because of her choice to try and save their lives. That was why Kuro was trying to get the inheritance from Kaya and her family. He managed to kill both her mother and father already and had planned to leave Kaya alive so his daughter had a friend to play with. However, he was unaware Kaya's parents had left the inheritance to her until after her parents' funeral. He had tried giving Raindra as many years with her friend as he could, but he had to kill the young lady before she was old enough to inherit the money he had been working so hard towards getting his hands on. That money would be enough for him to be able to buy an island far away from the Marines that he and his daughter to live on happily and he would never have to lose her like he lost his wife.

_'Please be safe, wherever you are Princess.'_

* * *

Grunting as her back collided with the ground once again, Raindra blew out an irritated puff of air in a huff. Taking a moment to glare up at the side of the cliff she had been trying to climb for the last hour Raindra finally closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself. So far she had learned her fruit was harder to master than she had originally given it credit for. She found she could produce mini tornadoes in the palm of her hand and control the air around her. After some work, she had managed to use that skill to propel herself further up the side of the cliff to where she could get a solid foot-hold to climb to the surface. After three hours she was only a few feet off the ground and where she had started from. Every time she tried boosting herself into the air using the air currents she could produce from her hands she seemed to lose more strength out of her arms and it became harder to keep climbing and keep a good hold on the side of the cliff face.

_'I didn't expect it to be so exhausting to use a Devil Fruit.'_

Raindra thought to herself as she took a moment to rest. It would seem the fruit she had eaten had basically gifted her the powers of nature. She could create gusts of wind from the palms of her hands, and she wasn't entirely sure to what extent she could use it, but she could also create mini storm clouds. She was surprised to find herself excited to try and see everything she could and couldn't do now thanks to the fruit she'd decided to eat. She knew she now couldn't swim, but just what was the full extent to the powers she had gained? What were her limits? Could she create life-sized tornadoes instead of simply the tiny ones in her hand? Could she create hurricane-like storm clouds and call on lightning? She didn't know, but right now she needed to focus on getting the rest of the way up the cliff side and back to the surface of the island.

Forcing herself back to her feet, Raindra had both her palms facing parallel to the ground. She could feel the wind start to disturb the sand on the rocky ledge she stood on and it whipped her clothes around before she felt herself lifted into the air about three feet off the ground. Reaching out and finding a stronghold in the side of the cliff, Raindra started climbing. She could feel her body growing heavier and heavier the higher she went, but she was not going to give up. She was tired and had been through enough bullshit already. She just wanted to go back, sleep somewhere safe, and forget any of this even happened.

Seeing the edge of the cliff coming into view only a few feet above her, Raindra summoned the remaining bit of her strength to use her new powers again and shoot over the edge, landing lightly on her feet back on solid ground. Taking a few steps further from the edge of the cliff so that she was about five feet away, Raindra breathed a sigh of relief at finally being back. Turning and heading back towards the mansion, she hoped she would be able to get to her room without running into her father. She was too tired to properly handle a confrontation with him at the moment. She was tired and her brain was frazzled, she wasn't sure what she might say or do if she had to see him first.

_'I'll cross that bridge when I get there.'_

The young bluenette thought to herself as she slowly made her way back to the place she hated to call home.


	6. Late-Night Snack

_Kiteria: Sorry for the massive delay in last week's update guys. My sister was visiting and I was exceedingly distracted, then SOMEONE decided they wanted NINE pages worth for this chapter. That shit takes time man lol. You guys almost got two updates on one Sunday, but thankfully I managed to finish this before then. I do not own One Piece, wish I did, but I don't. Raindra is my sister's OC, everything else I'll let you know. Leave me a review guys!_

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Crawling through the hidden part in the hedges, Raindra silently slid the finely cut block of the shrubbery back in place once on the other side. Turning to face the dimly lit courtyard of the manor, Raindra made her way towards the side door that would let her inside into the kitchen. It was the only room close enough to her room for her to attempt to sneak inside when trying to avoid her father.

Making her way down the carpet-covered corridor that lead to her room, the tired young bluenette didn't notice when a familiar figure emerged from the shadows of the hallway.

"Princess, you know you can't avoid this."

Hearing her uncle's voice coming from behind her, Raindra stopped and tried her best to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"It wasn't my fault Uncle Jango. I really just want to go to bed, please don't make me go see him."

Raindra tried pleading with her uncle, turning to face him as she waited for his answer. The red lenses to his glasses reflected the small amount of light spilling into the hallway, giving nothing away to what the man was thinking.

"You know I can't do that Princess."

Jango said with a defeated sigh and Raindra felt her shoulders drop as her hopes of getting out of seeing her father at least until she had managed to get some sleep were crushed.

"Fine, but I want my final meal to be lasagna."

"Whatever you want Princess."

Jango answered dismissively before moonwalking out of the dark hallway and leading the way to her father's office. How her uncle could see where he was going with his head pointed down, sunglasses on, and it nearly pitch black in the hallways she wasn't sure, but then again she had other things to focus on than the possibility her uncle had night vision and had been keeping it a secret from her.

The silent walk to her father's office was much shorter than the bluenette was prepared for and soon she found herself standing in front of the wooden door and Jango knocking before she could even attempt to tell him not to.

"Come in."

Came the slightly muffled voice of her father and Raindra let out a sigh as she walked past Jango and into the room. She tried her best not to let her exhaustion show as she waited for her father to turn away from the papers he was working on to look at her. The temptation to lay down on the light brown couches tucked away along one wall of her father's office was almost too strong for her to ignore. She had been through more than she was willing to acknowledge at this time and she was pretty sure if anything else happened her head was going to explode.

"Raindra."

The tone of her father's voice let her know he was far from pleased with her disappearance.

"I should hope you have a form of explanation regarding your absence?"

Kuro asked, finally turning to face his daughter. She no longer felt the heart-stopping fear she once did when gazing at her father, she had long ago stopped being afraid of him. Raindra knew he loved her dearly, he was simply too controlling for her taste.

"The ground along the cliffs gave way beneath me while I was on my way home. I fell, when I woke up I was stuck at the bottom with the tidepools. When I finally managed to get up the cliff I came straight home."

Raindra explained calmly, leaving out the part of her finding and eating a Devil Fruit. She knew her father wouldn't take too kindly to such information.

"Were there no caves along the beach?"

Kuro asked, his tone telling he didn't believe her story.

"There was a cave, but every path lead back to the same entrance. My only choice was to climb up the cliff; that's why it took me so long to return home. I'm sorry if I worried you father."

Raindra apologized and waited to know if there would be a punishment attached to this little chat with her father.

"You are otherwise unhurt?"

Kuro suddenly asked, his tone softened slightly as he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose with the palm of his hand.

"Only a few bumps and scratches, but nothing that won't be gone in a few days' time."

Raindra answered as honestly as she dared, sensing the tension in the room was fading now that her father knew she was okay.

"You had me worried Raindra. I thought…..I thought that boy might have come back and had you taken away."

Feeling her heart constrict inside her chest at hearing her father admit his concern for her, Raindra stepped forward and made her way around her father's work desk. Stepping up beside him, the young bluenette wrapped her arms around her father and hugged him.

"I'm sorry father."

She said as she pulled away to see her father avoiding eye contact when she stood back up. A small smile made its way onto her face as she recognized the embarrassed behavior.

"It has been a long two days, I think I will retire for the night."

Raindra said, dismissing herself and bidding her father goodnight before slipping back out into the hall and heading towards her room once more.

* * *

Raindra's heart felt a little bit lighter after talking with her father; a rather pleasant surprise to say the least. She hadn't thought she had worried her father with her sudden disappearance, but from the teary eyed reaction he tried hiding from her before she bid him goodnight she knew better. She didn't hate her father, not really. She just couldn't understand why he had chased her mother away or why she wasn't allowed to go with her. Then when they suddenly weighed anchor and started living on Gecko Island she didn't understand what her father was trying to do. She could tell the visit from that black haired boy had scared him, bad. After Raindra managed to wake her father after the boy left Kuro hadn't been the same. It had seemed like he was almost desperate to find somewhere else for them to stay besides the ship. She left most of the crew behind on the ship, forced the ones he brought with them to stop calling him captain, and he now only answered to Klahadore.

Deciding she had spent enough time thinking about the inner workings of her father's mind, Raindra flopped down onto her mattress once inside her room. Kicking off her boots and letting them fall haphazardly to the floor, Raindra begrudgingly moved until she was under the covers and closed her slate gray eyes. After everything that had happened in the last forty-eight hours she wanted nothing more than to sleep for just about as long.

* * *

Usopp laughed as the townsfolk chased after him screaming their disapproval of his lies and pranks. The brunette simply laughed happily as he outran them all the way back to the Usopp Pirates' base. There he saw his loyal crew loitering around lazily.

"Usopp Pirates! The time has come for combat training."

Usopp called out and smiled when he saw how excited the boys suddenly got, all three fighting with each other as they struggled to be the first to their feet.

"You sure Captain? Before you'd said we weren't ready."

Piiman asked and Usopp turned to look at the younger boy.

"That was then and this is now. We can't protect what we hold dear without practice!"

Usopp shouted and the boys all cheered before racing around to find sticks big enough for them to use as swords. Usopp made a mental note to properly prepare weapons for his crew when he got home later that night, but for now, sticks would work.

The rest of the day, for as long as the sun was shining, the Usopp pirates threw themselves into mock battles for the boys to get used to swordplay. Usopp knew it was nothing like real pirates, but the boys were too young to think about setting out at sea, the brunette on the other hand yearned to go out to sea one day. His father was a pirate after all, and just like his father he wanted to know what the world had to offer. He was the Great Captain Usopp, nothing scared him. He knew he would set out one day and do so with his beloved crew waving him goodbye as he sets off from the island. It would be very touching, something worthy of one such as him.

"Captain! Where is Rain?"

Tamanegi asked, his glasses partially falling off his face from their training. Being pulled from his thoughts of his tearful departure from the island when the time came, Usopp looked at his young friend.

"She needed a day off, so she is resting on Captain's orders."

Usopp explained, quickly coming up with a believable excuse for their blue-haired friend. She never showed up at his place, so he guessed she went home. It wouldn't have been the first time Raindra spent the night at his house, though she always insisted on returning to the manor before sunrise. Usopp wasn't sure why, but he could also tell it wasn't his place to pry.

"You're so kind Captain!"

Ninjin said as he blew his bangs out of his eyes only for them to fall back down. His bandana pushed his hair down and made it impossible to keep out of his eyes, but he liked it that way.

Usopp watched as the boys tired themselves out with their practicing, then once the sun started to set he headed home. The fact Raindra hadn't shown up at all worried him, he hadn't seen her since the other day. Hopefully her father hadn't grounded her again, last time he wasn't able to see her for almost a month.

"Just remember to come back when you can Rain."

Usopp said as he entered his bedroom and kicked off his shoes. He really hoped to be able to see his friend tomorrow, but if not then he just wanted her to be okay.

* * *

Raindra rolled over and stretched leisurely, hoping to work out the kinks in her muscles, only to hiss in pain and stop when the action had part of her skin pull away from the burn mark on her back. Out of all the bumps and bruises she'd gotten from her fall down the cliff, the burns on her lower back had to be the worst. She'd been too tired to bother bathing before climbing into bed, and from the slight stinging in the wound she had to guess she'd gotten some sand in there some time during her several failed attempts to climb the cliff face.

Deciding the best course of action being to clean all the dirt from her body, Raindra threw the covers off her before getting to her feet. Walking the short distance to the small personal bathroom attached to her bedroom, Raindra stripped out of her dirty clothes and stepped into the glass shower after letting the water get to the temperature she liked. Once beneath the spray of the water, all the tension in her muscles seemed to melt away. It did sting at first when the warm water hit the exposed skin on her back, but after a bit it started to feel good. Taking the soft cotton rag hanging in front of her, Raindra used her orange blossom body wash to clean the dirt and sand from her body. She felt herself relax and the whole experience from the other day fading away as she showered.

Walking out of the bathroom with a towel gently wrapped around her, Raindra quickly dressed in a simple pair of navy blue shorts hidden beneath a light blue dress adorned with small white flowers. Hastily running a brush through her hair, Raindra then headed for the infirmary. She knew that there was a chance the burns on her back could get infected if not properly treated. The last thing she wanted to do was explain to her father why she had an infected burn on her back, especially after having lied to him and telling him she was unhurt.

Slipping quietly into the infirmary, Raindra turned to find burn ointment or something that could help heal the burns on her lower back and nearly screamed when she saw the ship's doctor sitting at his desk. Thankful she had managed to hold back, Raindra relaxed when she realized the doctor was asleep. His arms crossed in front of himself and his head lolled slightly to the side as soft snores filled the room. Raindra knew if her father heard about the man sleeping on the job he would catch hell, but the man was in luck since she had no intention of telling her father that she had seen him sleeping, let alone that she had been anywhere near the infirmary for whatever reason.

_'Not wasting this opportunity.'_

Raindra thought to herself as she made her way over to the cabinet with the premade medicine and salves the currently sleepy doctor had already prepped for his own convenience. She quickly identified the small, dark brown container of burn salve she was looking for and grabbed it before shutting the cabinet doors. Tip-toeing towards the door, the young bluenette cast one last look towards the slumbering doctor to make sure he hadn't woken up, once she was certain the coast was clear, she ran back to her room with the container of burn salve clutched tightly in her hands. What she didn't expect was for someone to be waiting for her just outside her room. Upon spotting her Uncle Jango leaning against the wall by her door, Raindra quickly hid the container behind her back.

"Princess, what do you got there?"

Jango asked, pushing away from the wall and turning to look at her. His eye hidden by his signature red-lensed heart-shaped glasses so she couldn't tell what he was thinking. She was, however, able to tell by his body language that he wasn't here for an order. Usually when carrying out an order her uncle was a lot more rigid in the way he stood and his movements seemed more robotic. However, right now he seemed rather relaxed and more himself.

"Would you believe me if I told you nothing?"

Raindra queried, knowing he wouldn't but having to ask anyway.

"What do you think?"

He asked making Raindra frown before sighing and bringing her hands back in front of herself, showing Jango the little brown container she held in her hands.

"Burn salve?"

He asked, recognizing the container and knowing how their crew's doctor liked to keep things in color-coded containers to make it easier to find things.

"Raindra, why do you have that?"

Jango asked, dropping her nickname and Raindra cursed her luck. She had thought Jango stopped being her bodyguard after the last time she'd managed to sneak out, but from the looks of it, her disappearing act seemed to have only solidified her uncle as her new forever shadow.

"Uncle Jan-Jan, please don't tell my father."

Raindra pleaded, out of options, using the old nickname she used to call her uncle when she was still learning to talk. She noticed the way Jango stiffened at the old name before hearing him let out a sigh.

"I want an explanation Raindra."

He said sternly to which Raindra nodded, unable to think of anything to say.

"Then let's apply that where it's needed yea?"

Jango suggested, holding his hand out for the salve and earning a smile from his niece.

"Thank you Uncle Jango!"

Raindra shouted as she ran forward and gave him a hug, then quickly slipped inside her room and waited for him to join her.

After a bit of convincing, Jango managed to get Raindra to show him why she needed the burn salve and as she lay face-down on her bed with her head propped up on her arms, Jango gingerly applied the salve to the handful of quarter-sized burns on her lower back. As he did, Raindra explained what happened during her absence leaving out the part about the Devil Fruit she'd eaten. She knew her father despised those things and the last thing she wanted was for him to send her away like he had her mother. To be honest, she wasn't really sure how her father would react to her having eaten a Devil Fruit, but she was too scared to find out.

'Best to keep it a secret for now.'

Raindra told herself as Jango got up to wash the salve off his hands after having put the closed container on her nightstand.

"I won't tell your father about the burns."

Jango started, pulling Raindra from her thoughts of her father and his possible reactions to her new powers.

"But you know I have to tell him about the rest."

He continued as Raindra sat up and pulled her shirt back down, hiding her burns once again.

"I understand."

Raindra said as she waited for her uncle to rejoin her on her bed as he was prone to do. The Meowban Brothers used to be her bodyguards when she was younger, but after the sixty-seventh time she managed to escape them and sneak out of the manor her father had replaced them with Jango. She managed to evade him sometimes, but so far he's managed to catch her almost as many times as she's managed to get away. Her uncle Jango wasn't nearly as reserved as the brothers and he wasn't afraid to show he cared for her. Unlike them, he would hug her and tuck her in at night, or sit with her on her bed like there wasn't some unspoken protocol that prevented anyone from getting close to her. That was something she had actually been grateful for once he had become her bodyguard.

"You've got to be more careful Princess, you keep worrying your father and the rest of us like this and he really will find a way to lock you in a tower or something."

Jango said, making Raindra giggle at the picture he painted in her head.

"I know Uncle Jango, I don't mean to worry you. I just want to be free to spend my days how I want. To be able to play with my friends."

She said and saw a sympathetic frown on her uncle's face. He was no doubt thinking of the likelihood of that happening, given who and how her father was, and even Raindra knew that was a slim to none chance.

"I'll try talking to him."

Jango suddenly said making Raindra's head snap his way, the action almost giving Raindra whiplash from how fast she'd done it.

"You will!?"

She asked hopefully despite knowing how dangerous hope could be.

"In the meantime, you will have to behave until I can convince him to listen to me. Think you can do that for me Little Rain?"

Jango asked, using the old nickname she hadn't heard since they were living on the ship.

"Alright Uncle Jango, I'll behave."

She said and wasn't surprised Jango stared at her distrustfully for a few moments given her track record, before he got to his feet.

"Get some rest."

He said before walking to the door and letting himself out.

Silence followed her uncle's departure, but Raindra was fine with that. Moving off her bed and into the middle of her floor, Raindra sat with her legs crossed and decided it was time to see just what that freaky fruit she'd eaten could do. She already knew from having used it to get back to the surface of the island that she could manipulate wind, now she wanted to know what else she could do. She had a vague idea flash in her mind after eating the fruit of what her powers could do, but it was all jumbled and honestly rather confusing. That being said, she had already eaten the cursed thing so what was done was done, now she just needed to master it. The thought of such a challenge brought a smile to the young bluenette's face as she thought of something to try. She knew her fruit was the Climate Climate Fruit and had learned she could manipulate the forces of nature after eating it. The thing was, she didn't know how. At least, not fully. She had a general idea of how her powers worked, something she guessed came with consuming any Devil Fruit, but this would be the first time she was actually going to try playing around with them.

Deciding to stop over-thinking it, Raindra took a deep breath before letting it out slowly to calm herself as she brought her hands in front of her with her palms facing her. She envisioned her arms being surrounded by powerful gusts of wind and her slate grey eyes widened when she saw the still air around her start to form into air streams that snaked their way around her arms. She tried speeding up how fast the air moved and before she new it, the two streams suddenly became one and formed a tornado that she moved to hold in the palm of her hands. Her hair whipped wildly around her as she stared in awe at the mini force of nature she held inches from her face. The papers she'd had on the desk across the room from her were flying around the room, the curtains on her windows were flapping wildly as they were being pulled in towards the tornado the only thing keeping them from being pulled in was the few brass rings attached to the curtain rod screwed into the wall.

Letting the wind die down before it succeeded in its attempt to draw everything into the middle of the room, Raindra watched as the tornado grew smaller and smaller before spinning out of existence. Growing excited once more at the thoughts of what else she could do, Raindra thought it would be fun to see if she could make it rain indoors. It seemed harmless enough of an idea, at most some things would get a little wet. Focusing on her new task, Raindra watched astounded as little blobs of what she could only describe as cloud seemed to materialized from her very skin and float up into the air and gathering in one spot once they hit her ceiling. The grey little blobs merged together to form one large cloud floating right above where she sat. Concentrating, Raindra couldn't help but giggle when she felt the first drop of water hit her nose. It was quickly followed by another, then another, and soon there was a light shower of rain falling from the cloud. Moving out the way, Raindra blinked in amazement when she stood outside the range of the rain cloud and watched as the rain continued to fall only in the spot she had previously been sitting. An idea popping in her head, Raindra waved her arm in front of her in one large sweeping motion and was pleased to watch as the rain cloud followed the movement. With a flick of her wrist, Raindra smiled when the rain cloud dispersed, leaving no proof they had been there except for the small puddle that sat in the middle of her wooden floor.

Grabbing a dirty pajama top, Raindra mopped up the water before tossing the soaking garment in her dirty clothes. Sitting down on the edge of her bed, Raindra stared in awe at her hands. She really could control the forces of nature.

_'All this and all I had to give up was my ability to swim?'_

Raindra thought to herself as she slowly started to get over her amazement at her new powers. She didn't think that was too bad of a deal. Now all she had to do was make sure she never fell in any water and she would be fine. The only thing that scared her was that she knew she would eventually have to tell her father about her powers. She certainly wasn't looking forward to it, and the fact she hadn't received any form of punishment also unsettled her. It wouldn't be the first time her father had let her off the hook, but that only happened when he truly was afraid something had happened to her. Raindra tried thinking of what could have happened during her absence for her father to become that concerned about her, but couldn't seem to come to a conclusion.

Deciding it best to just let it be for now, Raindra crawled under her blankets and got comfy as she grabbed the book she was currently reading from her bedside table. Opening to where she'd left off, her slate grey eyes took in every line of text absorbing in less time than it took to blink and before she knew it hours had gone by and it was well past midnight when she finished the book. Glancing at the clock hanging on the far wall of her bedroom, Raindra noticed it was almost four o'clock in the morning. Tossing the covers off her and getting up to put the book back on her bookshelf, Raindra's stomach growled loudly, reminding the bluenette that she hadn't eaten in a good number of hours.

_'Eat while you can.'_

Raindra thought to herself as she slipped out her bedroom and down the hall. Her recent experience had given her a new respect for food. She never thought she would experience hunger to such a degree and that was when there had still been options if she had only been willing to take them. If just that had been that bad, Raindra could only imagine what starving with no options for food must be like. She didn't envy anyone who had to go through that and hoped she never would.

Sneaking into the kitchen, knowing if she was caught up at this late she would be punished, Raindra quietly made herself a sandwich and something to drink. She was just shutting the fridge and about to make her way back to her room when she heard voices from the dining room. Curiosity overriding the desire not to get caught, Raindra tip-toed in the direction of the voices until she got to the door leading to the dining room. Carefully pushing it open just a crack, Raindra saw her father, Jango, and the Meowban Brothers sitting at the dining room table. There wasn't any food on the table, so they weren't having a late night snack like her. So then, what were they doing here at four in the morning?

"So it's finally come in?"

She heard her father ask and frowned in confusion wondering what he meant.

"Yes Captain, this poison can't be detected by scent or taste."

Buchi said, his eyes looking even more cat-like in the dim lighting.

_'Poison?'_

Raindra wondered, moving just a little closer in an attempt to hear more.

"Good. It's about time Miss Kaya went to join her parents and that inheritance is mine."

Kuro said and Raindra's eyes widened as understanding dawned on her. Her father was going to kill her best friend to try and gain her inheritance!

_'I've got to warn Kaya!'_


	7. Longer Leash

_Kiteria: Hello guys and gals. Sorry for the late post, been feeling a little out of it lately. Anyway, progress has been made and I can't wait for what I have in store for this story. I'm almost tempted to just pump it out til i run out of ideas...almost. I like the whole 'post on sundays' thing. We got to see a bit more of Rain and Usopp's relationship as well as Usopp and Kaya's relationship. I know I mentioned in the last one about poison, just keep in mind just because I mention it doesn't mean it will happen immediately. Kuro was the man of a hundred plans, I assure you that fucker has some patience. Stay turned if you wanna know what happens. Leave me a review and let me know what you guys think okay?_

**Disclaimer: Kit does not own One Piece or any characters/places/events found within. Raindra is a co-owned OC created by Kit's sister Raindra. All rights go to her for the character, Kit is simply writing her story. **

* * *

Raindra stepped carefully back one foot at a time so as not to make a sound. Her mind was spinning with the information she'd just learned and her heart was racing. She had to find her friend and let her know what she'd just learned. Turning on her heel once she was far enough away from the dining room door, Raindra ran as quickly as her legs could carry her back upstairs and through the winding corridor upstairs until Kaya's bedroom came into view. Raindra didn't care her friend was probably asleep. She didn't care that it was going on five in the morning and if she were caught out of bed she would be punished. She didn't care about anything except getting to her friend before her father.

Throwing open the door, not even bothering to knock first, Raindra set the plate carrying her uneaten sandwich and the glass of water she'd gotten on the bedside table next to her sleeping friend. Apparently her sudden entry into her friend's room hadn't even disturbed her in the slightest. She'd been so focused on getting to Kaya as fast as possible that the bluenette had forgotten she'd the original reason she'd gone into the kitchen in the first place.

"Kaya. Kaya, wake up!"

Raindra whispered as she shook the blonde awake. Kaya slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand as she tried to wake up.

"Rain? What's going on? What time is it?"

Kaya asked, but Raindra shook her head as she took the other girl's hands in her own.

"Kaya, listen to me. You have to get away from here."

Raindra said, trying to convince her friend of the danger she was in, but from the confused look on her friend's face she could tell it wasn't having the desired effect at all. If anything, it seemed to be having the opposite effect all together.

"You probably just had a nightmare Rain, go back to bed before you get both of us in trouble."

Kaya said dismissively, turning over in an attempt to go back to sleep.

"It wasn't a nightmare Kaya! My father plans to poison you to gain your inheritance! Please, you have to listen to me!"

Raindra pleaded with her friend only to have Kaya frown and shake her head.

"That's impossible. Klahadore would never do something like that, he's family. All of you are family."

"Kaya-"

"No! I won't hear anymore nonsense. I would appreciate it if you left and let me get some sleep before my first lessons."

Kaya said dismissively, interrupting Raindra's attempt at convincing her otherwise. Her father had played the part of loyal butler too well, even Kaya wouldn't believe her words over the actions of her father.

Knowing if she stayed she would only upset Kaya further, Raindra gathered up her forgotten late-night snack and stepped out into the hallway. Looking back over her shoulder at the closed door to Kaya's room Raindra hoped she would be able to protect her friend. She might not listen to her, but Raindra knew about the poison. If she kept an eye out and made sure her father never had a chance to use it, then maybe Kaya's life could be saved. If Kaya didn't believe her about Kuro, that meant no one else would either.

_'I promise I'll protect you Kaya.'_

Raindra promised silently to herself before heading back to her own room. She was too shocked to eat the food she'd made and instead curled up on her bed, trying not to think of what might happen should she fail to protect her friend. Why was her father doing this? Was money that important to him? If so, then why not resort to his old ways of piracy? They'd always had plenty of money when her father was still known as Captain Kuro. So then why, why was her planning to kill Kaya? She had done nothing wrong and she was her best friend. Surely her father wouldn't kill her best friend right?

* * *

Usopp looked all around the base of the tree for any signs of Jango or any of Kuro's other henchmen before he scaled the tree and settled himself on one of the higher branches that just so happened to grow parallel to Kaya's window. Gently tossing a rock with expert aim to hit the solid wooden frame of her window, Usopp waited and was awarded for his patience as the windows opened and Kaya's face peered out.

"Usopp?"

The soft voice called uncertainly and Usopp smiled before making his presence known.

"Good morning Kaya, what story would you like to hear today?"

He asked excitedly, but didn't miss the troubled look on his friend's face. Usually the mere mention of his grand stories and adventures were enough to make Kaya smile or even giggle a bit, but not today.

"Is everything okay Kaya?"

He asked concerned, pushing his own feelings that Kaya seemed troubled to the back of his mind.

"Yes, everything is fine Usopp. It's just...Raindra said some rather odd things to me this morning."

Kaya said and Usopp perked up at hearing the bluenette's name.

"So she's okay!? I haven't heard from her in almost three days and that's unheard of for her. She hasn't even come to the Usopp Pirate's base."

He explained and saw the frown on Kaya's face deepen.

"She returned to the manor around noon yesterday after having been missing for a whole day."

Kaya said and Usopp's eyes widened.

"Missing?"

He asked, but Kaya simply shook her head.

"I don't know. I only know what Merry told me."

She answered, making Usopp frown. That didn't sound like Raindra at all, what happened after they said goodbye that day?

"You said she said something odd to you?"

Usopp asked, hoping to possibly understand what their blue-haired friend had going through her mind. Disappearing like that, suddenly reappearing, not showing up to the base, saying worrying things to Kaya. Just what was going on with their friend to make her act this way?

"Yes. She said Klahadore planned on poisoning me to get my inheritance, but he wouldn't do that. Klahadore is much more than just a butler, he and Raindra both are like family."

Kaya said troubled, but Usopp couldn't bring himself to assist in the butler's defense. There had to be a reason Raindra would say something so outlandish. She wasn't like him and the boys, she didn't just run around telling lies for the fun of it or to get attention. If what she said to Kaya was true, then Kaya was in great danger. The problem with that was Kaya had such unshakable faith in Klahadore that there would be absolutely no convincing her otherwise.

"Raindra isn't one to make up something like that Kaya."

Usopp said, trying to reason with the young heiress, but from the hurt look on her face it seemed he only succeeded in pushing her further away.

Deciding it might be best to change the subject all together, Usopp dug around in his bag before producing a small wooden sword. One of many he had spent most of the morning making once he'd woken up.

"Hey Kaya look, think the boys will like it?"

He asked, holding his creation up for her criticism. Her face changed and lit up at the thought of the three village boys who loved to follow Usopp around.

"Oh Usopp, I'm sure they'll love it!"

Kaya said excitedly and Usopp couldn't help but beam at her response as he shoved the little wooden sword back in his bag. He had one for all the boys, but the one he was really proud of was for Raindra ...assuming she ever came back.

"Aren't you worried they'll get too rough?"

Kaya asked and Usopp couldn't help but laugh at her concern.

"We are practicing to be pirates Kaya, there's no such thing as too rough."

He said, puffing his chest out bravely only for it to deflate when Kaya started laughing. She knew him too well for his lies to convince her he was something he wasn't. That was one of the things he liked about Kaya. She, like Raindra, knew he was a pathological lier but knew not to take it personally. They both knew there was more to him than his tall tales and unbelievable lies. He didn't have to worry about trying to be someone he wasn't when he was around either one of them. He supposed that was why they got along as well as they did.

Kaya suddenly turned away to face back inside her bedroom, a frown marring her pretty face when she looked back his way.

"Merry says Klahadore is on his way. You should leave before he gets here Usopp."

Kaya warned and despite Usopp wanting to argue, he knew she was right. Klahadore detested him and the boys. If he saw him this close to the manor he would be far from happy.

"Be careful Kaya."

Usopp said before moving and climbing down from the tree he'd been using as his perch. He cast one last glance towards Kaya's window to see it was now closed. A sigh escaped him as he made his way through the hedges and slipped through the hole he'd cut in the shrubbery. Once on the other side, Usopp prayed to whatever God was listening that his friends would be okay.

* * *

Raindra didn't like this. She didn't like this one bit. Her father had called her into his office to speak with her. Apparently her uncle really had tried talking to him about her gaining a little bit more freedom, because here she was standing in front of her father while he frowned down at her.

"Jango has brought it to my attention that I might have been a little too strict with you."

Kuro started and Raindra remained silent, knowing it was better to wait until her father directly asked her something before speaking in most cases. However, biting her tongue wasn't exactly one of Raindra's strong suits.

"So from now on you are free to leave the manor as you wish, so long as you are able to be back before dark every night."

Kuro said and Raindra couldn't believe her ears. Had her father just said she could basically do as she pleased so long as she returned by curfew? Surely she'd heard him wrong.

"Answer me Raindra."

Her father snapped irritated and Raindra flinched at his tone before doing as told.

"Yes father."

Nodding at her answer, Kuro turned back towards his paperwork and motioned for her to leave. Normally Raindra wouldn't have thought twice about being able to escape the dark office of her father, but this time she didn't move. She couldn't help it, her mind kept replaying last night over and over in her head. She'd lost count of how many times throughout the night she had woken up from a nightmare where her father had killed Kaya.

"Father…"

Raindra started softly, hoping the tone wouldn't set him off. Her father could be quite scary when angry, it was one of the reasons she tried not to upset him.

"What is it Raindra? I'm very busy."

He said, not even bothering to look her way as he shuffled through the papers on his desk. She didn't know what he was always working on, but she doubted it had anything to do with his job as a butler here at the manor.

"You...You aren't going to hurt Kaya right father?"

Raindra asked the question that had been burning at her all night since her discovery.

Silence filled the room after her question and Raindra could feel her father's eyes on her.

"Why would you ask something like that Raindra?"

He asked and the young bluenette tried not to react when she heard the scrape of his chair against the floor, indicating he had gotten to his feet again.

_'Uh-oh.'_

Trying to think of some reason for her question aside from admitting she had been eavesdropping, Raindra started to panic before something finally came to her.

"For helping me slip away the other day when you assigned Uncle Jango as my bodyguard. It really wasn't her fault father, I was the one who jumped out her window."

Raindra answered, hoping her half-lie would be enough to fool her father. She hadn't meant to ask him that question in the first place.

"No. I know Miss Kaya wouldn't have been able to stop you once you decided to try and slip away."

Her father answered and Raindra nodded in response, then slipped out of the room once he had resumed his place at his desk before she said anything else she was going to regret.

Making her way through the front gate of the manor, Raindra was pleasantly surprised to notice she only had one shadow and it was the one attached at her feet. Deciding a distraction was very much needed, Raindra headed for the base of the Usopp pirates. It had been a while since she'd been here and was sure Usopp and the boys were worried about her.

"Captain! It's Rain!"

A voice called out and Raindra couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face as the base came into view in the distance. Joining the boys once she reached them, the bluenette noticed that Tamanegi, Ninjin, and Piiman all held crafted wooden swords in their hands.

_'Well that's new.'_

She thought to herself as she waited for the excited trio of boys to calm down. Once they did she turned her attention to Usopp. The boy didn't seem to mind she was six years his senior, he just seemed to be happy someone wanted play with him that wasn't one of the boys.

"Welcome back Rain! Glad to see my orders for bedrest paid off."

Usopp said once he had come to join them. Raindra frowned at his comment before catching the look in his eyes.

"Yes Captain, I feel right as rain."

Raindra said and before either of them could say anything else Piiman pushed his way forward, his wooden sword held out for Raindra to see.

"Look Rain! Captain made us these for practice!"

He said excitedly as Raindra took the little sword and inspected it. She was surprised to find the little sword actually held a bit of weight to it, but then again, knowing Usopp she really wasn't that surprised.

"Oh? And how has practice been going?"

She asked handing Piiman back his sword.

"Why don't you sit in and see for yourself?"

Usopp suggested as he motioned to the boys to back up some so they could show Raindra what they had been working on.

Usopp took a seat next to her on the ground and they both sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the boys fight against each other with their swords. They weren't half bad from what Raindra could tell, but a part of her itched to join them.

"Where did you disappear to for two days Rain? You had me worried your father grounded you again or something."

Usopp said and Raindra turned her storm colored eyes from the boys to her friend.

"I was walking back to the manor after the storm had started the other day and the ground beneath me gave way."

Raindra explained and heard the shocked gasp from Usopp as she continued explaining what had happened.

"...the cave lead back to the entrance no matter how many paths I took and I was running out of food."

"So how did you get out?"

Usopp asked and Raindra frowned as she recalled what she had to do to be able to regain her freedom.

"Can we talk in private? It'd be easier to show you than tell you."

Raindra said evasively and didn't miss the look on her friend's face, but never-the-less he lead the way towards the trees that lined the clearing that made up the Usopp Pirates' base. Once she was satisfied that Piiman and the others couldn't see, Raindra turned her full attention back to Usopp who was waiting patiently for an explanation.

"Well?"

He prompted and Raindra held up her hand, palm facing the sky, and concentrated. She could feel the wind around them shift, but nothing else happened other than a breeze blowing between them. Frowning at her powers not doing as she wanted Raindra tried again. A smile spread across her face when the wind around them started to pick up once more and this time a small vortex of wind appeared in the palm of her hand. The small tornado was no bigger than a pinecone, but the wind produced was enough to make her hair fly around.

"Whoa!"

Usopp exclaimed in surprise, falling back as he lost his balance in an attempt to step back.

"I ate a Devil Fruit I'd found down there and that's how I got back to the surface."

Raindra explained as she closed her hand, cutting off the wind and making the tornado disappear.

"I still need practice, but the fruit lets me control weather phenomena as I see fit. So far wind and rain are the only parts I seem to be able to produce, but I plan on changing that."

She said and turned to see what her friend thought of all of this.

"Raindra….what does your father think of all this?"

Usopp asked and Raindra frowned.

"He doesn't. He doesn't know."

She answered quietly and didn't need to see Usopp's face to know he didn't approve.

"Raaaain."

Usopp said warningly and the young bluenette glared at her friend.

"You don't have to tell me, I know. I'll tell him, I will. Just….not right now."

She said, ignoring the look her friend was giving her until she heard him sigh in defeat.

"Fine, just be careful okay?"

He said and Raindra turned to look at him. He was a goofball who loved the attention yelling lies about pirates and telling stories got him, yet to know he was worried about her touched her heart.

Ignoring his warning to be careful, Raindra moved to head back towards the others when she turned to look back over her shoulder at Usopp.

"So Captain, do I get a sword too?"

She asked and didn't miss the smile that practically split Usopp's face in two as he excitedly ran to catch up with her, the whole time he was rummaging around in his bag for something.

"Ah-ha! Here it is!"

He shouted and Raindra waited for him to explain, though he didn't have to as he pulled out a wooden sword the length of her arm from his bag.

"The swords I made for the boys were nothing. This…."

Usopp said, holding the sword out to her.

"...took a little bit more work."

He finished as she took the sword from him. It was heavier than the one Piiman had handed her earlier. It felt like what she imagined a real sword might feel like. The wood Usopp had chosen to use felt like it was extremely durable and as she looked it over, Raindra blinked in surprise upon seeing the etching on the handle.

_'For my friend Rain.'_

She read the inscription Usopp had etched into the wood and felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Woah, why are you crying? Do you not like it?"

Usopp asked, freaking out when he noticed the tears in her eyes. Shaking her head, Raindra gave the younger boy a hug as the tears ran down her face. No one had ever given her such a thoughtful gift.

"Thank you Usopp, I love it!"

She said as she pulled back, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"Want to test it out?"

Usopp asked and as they reached Piiman and the others. Smiling at the question, Raindra ran forward and took Tamanegi's place when he and Ninjin switched out. The boys had been taking turns and rotating so they all got some practice in. She had never held a sword, let alone used one before, but Raindra was excited to find out just what she could do. She would train to be able to protect her friends from those who would hurt them. No matter _who_ they were.

* * *

**Shoutouts!**

**Raindra: **Cliffhangers, you'll notice, are a weakness of mine. I can't resist. Yes I did choose the page cap, but it's been a bit since I wrote that much for one chapter of a fanfic. Brainstorming with you was nice and helped quite a bit. I can't wait to visit. As far as DLS' revised update, look for it within the next few days if my depression doesn't wind up kicking my ass.

**Soledge1: **Once a scumbag, always a scumbag. In this case anyway. And yes, I did mention it a lil early, but it won't happen til a little bit later. Development must take place first. Seeds of doubt must take root and all that fancy sounding b.s. Truth be told, I have things planned and go to run with it then am reminded I'm writing someone else's OC's story. So I have to make sure things line up with them and their info.


	8. Stipulations

Kiteria: I have been trying to write this chapter for MONTHS! Hope ya'll enjoy. Please leave me a review.

* * *

**Thwack!**

**Thwack!**

**Thwack!**

The repetitive sounds coming from the coast line drew Jango from his stroll around the island. Kuro had instructed him to keep an eye on things during his down time and make sure that the rest of their crew wasn't doing anything stupid, like getting off the ship or letting it be seen from shore. So far he had nothing to report except for an odd sound coming from the eastern coast.

**Thwack!**

**Thwack!**

Making his way towards it, Jango noted that the sound seemed oddly familiar but he couldn't quite place it. It was like something hitting against something else, and as he emerged quietly from the trees to the clearing before him he found the cause of the noise. Stepping back into the foliage to stay out of sight, Jango adjusted the heart-shaped sun-glasses sitting on his nose as he watched the scene before him play out.

_'Is that Raindra?'_

Jango wondered as he watched, moving among the trees to a closer position to get a better look. His eyes widened a bit when he realized it was indeed his niece he saw in the clearing. She stood facing a straw practice dummy with a wooden sword held in her hands.

"Are you sure you want to learn this way? Isn't there a less….boring way to learn?"

Jango heard a young boy, probably no older than seven ask and noted he had seen the brunette around the manor on several occasions. He was the young boy that liked to visit Kaya and telling lies for the fun of it. Knowing Kuro, Jango knew he wouldn't be pleased that his daughter was hanging out with such a boy.

"Yes Usopp, how else am I supposed to learn properly? No one on the island will train me and my father sure as heck won't help. Now read the next one."

Raindra said and Jango's brow furrowed in curious confusion, wondering what she meant until the young boy did as she said.

"Guard!"

The boy called out and Jango watched as Raindra moved her body, albeit shakily and with every ounce of grace of someone who had never held a sword, until she stood before the practice dummy with the wooden sword held before her in a guard. Even from his position Jango couldn't deny she had a decent stance.

"Attack!"

The boy called yet another order and Raindra moved once more, though this time she shifted so she was in an offensive stance. Jango watched as she brought the sword in her hand above her head before following through with a strong downward strike. It was a good attack; on a dummy. That wasn't going to do anything but get her killed if she ever had to face a real opponent.

_'Why is she trying to learn in the first place? There's no reason while here on the island.'_

Jango couldn't help but wonder as he turned and headed back towards the manor. He had quite a bit to report to Kuro, though as he took his time walking through the small forest he couldn't help the smile that threatened to spread across his face. His niece really was something; even with her father forcing her to live the way he pleases she still fought to live how she wanted. Maybe he could leave a thing or two out of his report, just this once.

* * *

Raindra quickly pulled the covers of her bed back down to hide the wooden sword she'd just stashed underneath. If her father found out she would be in far more trouble than she'd ever been thus far and that was just something she didn't want to think about.

Turning and heading out of her room, Raindra turned left to cut through the corridor that ran alongside the servant's work areas and sleeping quarters in order to get to Kaya's room. With everything that had been going on she hadn't had a chance to go see her friend since she had tried telling her about what she learned her father was up to. To think that Kaya didn't believe her hurt, but Raindra still intended to do everything she could to save her friend. . . . she just didn't know how she was supposed to do that if she couldn't convince her of the truth.

Voices further down the corridor pulled Raindra from her thoughts. As she walked closer she started to be able to make out what they were saying.

"...tomorrow night. Lights, games, dances, and fireworks. Oh, won't it be fantastic Merry?"

A voice asked as Raindra came to stand before the door leading to the manor's kitchen. The voice from before sounded like Marieanne, one of the servants responsible for cooking for the household.

"Yes, the festival sounds very pleasant. Now can we please get back to work? Klahadore wouldn't approve of this gossip."

The irritated sound of Merry's voice came as no surprise to the bluenette. He was always so serious; she wondered if he even knew how to have fun. That being said, he was always so nice to her and Kaya. He even treated Usopp decently.

_'A festival? I bet **that** would put Kaya in a better mood.'_

Raindra thought to herself before moving on down the corridor heading towards Kaya's room, renewed motivation coursing through her. They might have had a bit of a disagreement before, but this festival would be the perfect way to clear the air between them. She hated fighting with Kaya; the girl was her best friend.

Knocking once she reached Kaya's bedroom, Raindra waited until she heard the slightly muffled sound of Kaya's voice telling her to come in. Walking in, Raindra almost frowned to see Kaya was lying in bed this early in the day. The heiress pushed herself up into a sitting position, propping a few pillows behind her for support. Now knowing the cause of her friend's illness and ultimately knowing what the outcome was going to be; Raindra felt it was her responsibility to do whatever she could to protect her friend since she wasn't willing to listen to her.

"Hey Kaya, didja hear? There's apparently going to be a festival in a few days. Sounds like it could be a lot of fuuuun."

Raindra said as she collapsed onto the foot of the bed. She waited for the jostling of the bed to die down before turning to glance at her friend to see how she reacted to the news.

"A festival?"

Kaya asked surprised and a smile tugged at Raindra's lips as she sat up to face her friend.

"I heard some of the servants talking about it on my way here. There's supposed to be games and food and fireworks!"

Raindra exclaimed excitedly, her eyes going starry-eyed at the thought of getting to see fireworks for the first time. She'd read about them and seen pictures, but she'd never had the chance to experience it first hand.

"Raindra….you know you're going to have to ask Klahadore for permission to go. It's going to be held off manor grounds isn't it?"

Kaya asked, bringing the daydreaming bluenette back to the present. She was right, she was going to have to go ask her father for permission to go. There was no way he was just going to let her go off without an escort.

"Will you come with me? Maybe if I say you want to go he'll be lenient."

Raindra suggested, hoping her friend wasn't still too upset with her to help her. Kaya's silence seemed to go on forever before a smile split the blonde's face and she started laughing.

"Fine, but you owe me some cotton candy."

Kaya said with a fake stern look on her face that quickly changed into laughter again. Raindra smiled, seeing her friend wasn't mad anymore and joined in.

"I think I can handle that."

She said before getting to her feet and heading towards the door only to stop a few feet before it and hesitate.

"Klahadore isn't _that_ scary Raindra."

Kaya said from the bed and Raindra turned to look back at her friend. She didn't know him like she did. Hell, she didn't even know him like she thought she did and the man was her father. He was a ruthless pirate who seemed to only be after what best benefits him and a brain smart enough to come up with a million different ways to get it. If that wasn't scary, then Raindra wasn't too sure she knew what was.

"W-Wish me luck?"

Raindra stammered out only to wince as her voice cracked. She knew her father loved her, but that didn't make going to see him any less intimidating to her.

"You'll be fine, now go on before it gets too late. You know how he is about his schedules."

Kaya said as a way of encouraging her and Raindra could only take a shaky breath to try and reign in her nerves for the task she'd just put upon herself. Just how badly did she want to go to that festival again?

* * *

Kuro frowned and rubbed the side of his head in an attempt to stop the headache that threatened to take form behind his eyes. He hadn't anticipated becoming a butler would require so much paperwork.

Taking another page from the seemingly endless pile of papers sitting in a metal box labeled 'To Do', Kuro scanned over it before signing his name elegantly at the bottom of the page, then stamping it with Miss Kaya's family crest. Since the passing of the young miss' parents, Kuro had become the one to take care of all the financial burden that their funeral preparations and proceedings had taken. He had access to all of her finances, yet couldn't touch a single beli. Growling slightly in frustration aloud to himself, Kuro leaned back in his chair and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his palm before they could completely slide off his face. He needed a break. Perhaps Jango had some news from his task to check the island, that would be the perfect distraction from the mundane task of being Klahadore the butler. Thinking of the fake alter ego he had created to secure a place to live for himself and his daughter made Kuro's skin crawl. He despised playing the polite butler to such an entitled little brat. What did she know of the real world? Of how hard it was to support a family? The money was wasted on her. He would honestly be doing her a favor in letting her join her parents and relieving her of all that responsibility. He knew the girl's passing would sadden his own daughter, but Raindra was strong and would get past it given enough time. Besides, she would never know her friend died of anything other than the same illness that took her parents. Then he and Raindra would have the manor to themselves and they'd kick the servants out if they wouldn't serve them. He supposed he could always kill them, but the townspeople were too close with them to not notice if they went missing.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Kuro was pulled from his musings at the sound of a soft series of knocks at his door. Surprised, but pleased none-the-less, Kuro called out for them to enter.

"Yes Raindra? You don't usually come to me without being called."

He noted after his daughter stepped into his office. Seeing how she stayed by the door, hidden in shadows made him frown.

"Step fully into the room."

He ordered and nodded approvingly when she complied and moved to stand a few feet from the other side of his desk. Her midnight blue hair had gotten longer, closer to how long her mother liked to keep hers. The way Raindra's hair framed her face reminded him strongly of her mother and a wave of deep loneliness threatened to wash over him, but he pushed it back and focused on his daughter instead.

"I asked you a question Raindra, I expect an answer."

Kuro said shortly, unhappy that his daughter was interrupting him while he was working even if he was happy to see her.

"I-I wanted to ask you something father."

Raindra finally got out, her voice sounding like a quiet whisper even though she was only a few feet from him.

"Stand up straight and speak up. It would appear you could use a refresher course in your etiquette classes."

Getting to his feet and coming around to lean on the front of his desk, Kuro waited with crossed arms for his daughter to continue. Hopefully this time with improved enunciation with the request of her query.

"There is to be a festival in a few days and I was-"

Raindra started and Kuro shook his head.

"Absolutely not!"

He shouted firmly, turning to go back to his paperwork.

"You're dismissed."

He told her, now bothered that his daughter wasted his time with such nonsense. Why she continuously wanted to mingle with those not worth her time drove him mad sometimes.

"Please father? It would be good for Kaya to get out of the house. I don't want her to die in that bed! She's wasting away and it would do her mind and body good to get out."

Raindra pressed and Kuro glared at the papers on his desk. Her insubmission irritated him. He had told her she was dismissed. Taking a breath to calm the pirate in him and channel the father in him he turned back to face his daughter with a stern look.

"You're right. It would do Kaya well. I'll have Jango escort her. You, however, are not permitted to attend. If Kaya were my daughter she wouldn't be going either, but seeing how I am not her father I can't forbid her from going. To think you'd want to be surrounded by such lowlife commoners."

Kuro spat, his eyes finally landing on his daughter again to see tears welling up in her storm-cloud colored eyes as she stood there in front of him waiting to be dismissed again.

"I want to see the...f..fireworks...please father…?"

Raindra asked, her voice cracking and Kuro could feel his resolve start to crumble. What could it really hurt to allow her to go to the festival with her friend?

"Alright, I'll give you permission to go to this festival…"

"Yes! Thank you father! Thank you!"

Raindra shouted excitedly, clearly unable to believe he just changed his mind.

"However.."

Kuro interrupted his daughter's happy celebration to continue where he'd left off before she'd excitedly cut him off.

"You must only talk to and attend the festival with Miss Kaya. Do not speak to any of the commoners in the village. You represent the manor even when you leave its' grounds. You wouldn't want to do anything to tarnish Miss Kaya's good name would you?"

He asked and could see the troubled, but serious look on his daughter's face as she thought over what he just told her. Seeing her nod her understanding, Kuro moved to return to his seat. It was only after he'd resumed his previous position and fixed his glasses once more that he looked back up at his daughter.

"You are dismissed Raindra."

He said, this time leaving no room for argument that she was in fact to leave.

"Yes father."

She responded, loud enough to be heard Kuro noted pleased, before retreating from the room and leaving him with the paperwork he had managed to forget about until now.

* * *

Glancing over her shoulder back towards the door to her father's office, Raindra still couldn't believe what just happened. Her father usually never changed his mind once he told her no. She hadn't thought about her sneaking out to play as a problem and hadn't understood why her father did until just now. If she represented the manor any time she left, then to be seen playing pirate with a known liar and son of a pirate, a handful of village kids, and talk about becoming pirates she guessed that wouldn't exactly paint the best image of Kaya. But how was it fair that Raindra had to control her life and how she lived just so Kaya's life wouldn't look bad?

Raindra was so deep in her own musings that she didn't bother knocking on Kaya's door before opening it to tell her friend the good news about what her father said. She still couldn't believe he actually said she was allowed to go. Even if his condition was a ridiculous one, she knew she wouldn't have a problem keeping to it. All she had to do was go to the festival with Kaya and not speak to or spend any time with anyone else. Her uncle Jango would even be there to report back to her father that that's exactly what she did the whole time. Who knows? He may even start letting her out more often if she proved she could follow his rules when they weren't completely unreasonable.

"Hey Kaya, guess what? I get to go to-"

Raindra stopped halfway through stepping into her friend's room and telling her the good news when she heard a familiar voice that made her freeze.

"That sounds like a lot of fun. When do we go?"

Usopp's voice carried through the room and seemed to echo from his place perched on the windowsill of Kaya's bedroom window. Raindra guessed he'd been invited in by Kaya since she always enjoyed when Usopp visited her. He would stay for hours and tell her about some of his grand adventures. They all knew they were lies seeing how the boy had never left the island, but it was nice to dream every now and again. To forget the harsh reality of the world they lived in and laugh at the idea of landing on an island made out of giant goldfish dung. Raindra had no issue with Usopp coming, she would love to be able to enjoy the festival with all of her friends. But with her father's stipulation and the way things looked like they were going to go she wasn't sure _what_ she was going to do.


End file.
